Research News

In mid-May, Walailak University, through faculty members from five schools — namely the School of Management, the School of Accounting and Finance, the School of Agricultural Technology and Food Industry, the School of Languages and General Education, and the School of Engineering and Technology, together with staff from The Center for Academic Services, met with members and networks of the “Le-Ya Community” to discuss collaborative community development approaches based on local needs and context.
The initiative was conducted under several integrated projects, including the Livelihood Promotion for Sustainable Community Development Program, the Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration for Sustainable Water Resource Utilization Program, and the Integrated Multidisciplinary Programs for Sustainable Educational Outreach to Communities Surrounding the University. These initiatives form part of Walailak University’s Social Engagement Project.

During the discussions, representatives from The Pak Phaya Blue Swimming Crab Bank Group and local occupational networks exchanged knowledge and experiences with university faculty members regarding natural resource conservation and low-carbon community tourism development. Key topics included the conservation of blue swimming crabs, shellfish, and mangrove crabs; mangrove forest restoration; waste management; and the use of clean energy through solar-powered boats, all aimed at advancing the community toward becoming a “low-carbon community.”

The discussions also explored ways to create added value from recyclable waste materials, such as producing brooms from used plastic bottles, supported by academic knowledge in production cost calculation and business management that aligns with the local context.

In terms of livelihood promotion, community members expressed a strong interest in strengthening local occupations and improving the grassroots economy through expanding seafood marketing channels, developing community product packaging, promoting online marketing, and creating simple mobile-phone-based promotional media that local residents can practically apply. Faculty members from the School of Languages and General Education are preparing to provide training on smartphone photography techniques to enable community members to create attractive promotional content and improve product visibility among consumers.

Additionally, the community aims to increase the value of imperfect black crabs by processing them into steamed black crab products. Community members also exchanged ideas with lecturers from the School of Management and the School of Agricultural Technology and Food Industry on further developing these products into creative local dishes such as Deep-Fried Crab Meat Rolls to enhance the value of local raw materials.

On the same occasion, lecturers and students from the Pro Chef Program under the School of Management organized a cooking demonstration featuring innovative dishes created from local ingredients such as blue swimming crab, mangrove apple, Seablite leaves, and mangrove leaves were creatively transformed into distinctive local dishes intended to become signature menu items for tourists visiting the community. Also, Community members sought further guidance on menu pricing and food cost calculation to support the long-term commercial sustainability of these products.

This activity reflects Walailak University’s commitment to working closely with communities through participatory processes that emphasize listening, collaboration, and co-designing development strategies. By applying multidisciplinary knowledge to support improvements in quality of life, local economies, and environmental sustainability, the initiative contributes concretely to sustainable community development.

This activity also supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 13: Climate Action; SDG 14: Life Below Water; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Furthermore, the initiative aligns with the “WU HAPPY TREE” framework in the areas of occupation, natural resources and environment, and education.

News by Mr. Kittipong Bunlear, The Center for Academic Services, Walailak University